Screw type article conveying mechanism



July 22, 1952 J. HoHL. ET A1. 2,604,200

4- SCREW TYPE ARTICLE CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed July 1e, 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 July 22, 19.52 J. HOHL ET AL 2,604,200

SCREW TYPE ARTICLE CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed July 16, 1949 2' SHEETS-SHEET 2 cfoHN HoHL A.F.TKEN1 EL .n www UNITED STATE s PATENT lcritici;

corporation of Ohio Applioation Liuiy '16, 1949, serial No. 105,126

lOur invention relates to a screw-type conveyor mechanism for conveying open-mouth jars or other articles from one point to another and cooperating means for washing or rinsing the interior of the articles as they are advanced bythe conveyor.

The invention provides'a horizontally disposed, continually rotating screw conveyor combined with means forpresenting the jars in upright position to the conveyor and causing them to be advanced by the rotation of the conveyor, introducing water or other liquid into jars, inverting the jars as they advance along the conveyor and thereafter reinverting the jars to upright position before they are released from the conveyor.

A 'feature of the invention relates to the variaf tion in the pitch of the spiral trough or channel in which the articles are held during their advance along the conveyor and particularly in increasing the pitch of the portion of the channel within the article-inverting zone and thereby accelerating the speed of the jars and maintaining a comparatively high speed while they are passing. through thelinverting zone. The construction permits a rapid inverting movement .of the jars during which the rinsing water is -foroeably and rapidly ejected by the combined action of centrifugal force and gravity. As the jars are completing the inverting movement, the speed is again reduced by decreasing the pitch of the spiral channelj a While the inverted jars are advancing at the reduced speed, they are subjected to a .rinsing operation by upwardly directed jets of water supplied through suitably arranged nozzles. Beyond the rinsing zoneY the pitch of the channel is again increased, causing the jars while being reinverted 'to advance at an accelerated speed, the reinverting movement being 'controlled by stationary guide rails. The speed of the jars is again reduced as they arefcompleting this vrein'vert'in'g movement and may beagain increase'd'as the jars vapproach the discharge end of" the Aconveyor to A"bring the speed into synchro'nism with the meansfor vautomatically removing them 'from the conveyor. g c n Y Another feature of the invention relates tothe variation in the width of the spiral channel 'at different points along the conveyor. At the intake end of the conveyor thechannel isof'a width to permit the jars to advance while in an upright position,` with their axes vertical.v As the pitch of thechannel is increased, thewidth 5 Claims. (Cl. Hi8-'33) ofthe channeldsjgradu'ally reduced tojsuch fa degree that tne'angular position 'or the iarswhil'e 2 passing through the high-speed zone is'accurate 1y controlled, the jars being held in an inclined position vcorresponding to the inclination of the spiral channel. In other words, the longitudinal axis'of the jar is maintained substantially tangentrto its path of movement through the highspeed Zone while the top and bottom surfaces of the jar are substantially parallel with vthe stationary, spiral guiding rods along which said surfaces travel. The width of the channel is in like manner adapted to the angular position of the jars while the latter are being reinverted.

Further features of the invention and its precise nature will appear more fully hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1aI is a plan view of the major portion of the conveying mechanism including the intake end of the conveyor.

Fig. 11b is a like View of the remaining portion of the conveyor mechanism.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 arefcross-sectional views at the vertical planes of the correspondingly designated section lines on Figs. la and 1b, looking in the directions of the arrows. Fig. 2 shows a jar in upright position for receiving the washing water. Fig. 3 shows the jar inverted and being sprayed with a rinsing Water. Fig. 4 shows the jar inverted after the washing and rinsingoperations.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view showing a jar in an intermediate position during the inverting movement thereof.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the jar at an intermediate point in the reinverting zone.

The present invention relates to article-conveying and washing mechanism of the type disclosed in the patent to Hohl et al., 2,461,277, February 8, 1949, Article Conveying Mechanism, and embodies various modifications and improvements of the mechanism shown in the patent.

The screw conveyor disclosed in the present application may be combined with a mechanism such as shown in said patent for feeding the jars or other articles to the conveyor.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, `the 'screw-conveyor I0 is horizontally mounted within a frame lI I. The conveyor mechanism may be enclosed or partly enclosed by a sheet 'metal housing comprising vertical sides I2 and a top or 'cover I3 connected to the frame by hinges I4, Fig. 3. The conveyor I0 i's vrotated continuously about 'its vhorizontal axis by Vpower transmitted through a power-driven belt I5 (Fig. 1b) lconnec'te'd th'roughl'intermediate' gearing vto the con; Veyo'r." "1`h`e conveyor "Wis substantially 'inthe form of a cylinder, being of uniform diameter throughout the greater portion of its length and formed with a spiral or helical guiding surface I6 in the form of a trough or channel of varying Width and pitch as hereinafter described. The articles l1, which are to be transferred from one station to' :another-byfthe conveyorefiareeshoulrn as openew'ide-moltljars and are: herein reierred to as such, although it will be understood that the apparatus may be used for conveying various other articles. l

The jars are fed to the intake-:endoffthe co veyor -by a belt conveyor i8 (Fig. la), and-e guided by side belts I9 wh ile lieiua inquestlim..H

der the control of the rotatinggconvytll?. Q1., I-" channel I6, which at the intake end merges into of gradually increasing depth th'rolighoina'n`V take zone throughout a zone Ib in which water or other se a s hare'1aste't10rl2frlymQunins Y 2.6 attached; tofihafraineglle are; Straight- .illwueheueihe@De @brille guide @112.5 Prese a flateverel Sulfaaiil contact :witheieavertmel "Side- WML Olf the: laf and; a ALngv which the latter rolls -asjit' is advanced by theep'lraldeyeyf-- spaced?, a Substantially unifolmdsiance apart threlisliout their? Griglia such 'Spa-nagbeieg somewhat greater than thelengthoithe jars which? areH beine- Conversa Th? jars ,Shift lengthwise from trie support er yneliall t" ine M,will benotedxtnatln erderf 'to permitirle jars' te maintain theii' upright position lll/lilleV passing 'imbued elle' gebe' l sbg the enamel' must be Seubf annually wider" their in 'the "nigh-speed zene (61d` lWhere the' bottle is v'held parallel -Withf'the 16a, and then of uniforln3denthi- The rellen and 'zia are channel 'j "Beyond the' nigh-speed zene fledjthe pitchfof/'thelchannelfgradually" reduced nlbugn reducing j rfdeeeleraurig; zene lee which inergesinto seeded slew-speed z onelef,

creased" along v, vthe "decelerating 4zone() Se Ato permit tuffarsi te 'again assume lup'rlglit" but" iier'ted." p tin" v'v'v'liile' traversing' Athe sloll-sl'tieed meuf flar'e' revlved around the'alzisof if. Q51 SlQand" fl se 'and guided te' an inverieduupirright "position which is maintained fas 'they ad'- andT g i Beyond v`t the la 4 tending along the accelerating, high-speed and decelerating zones for guiding and inverting the jars. These stationary guiding members are shaped and positioned to cooperate with the channel Walls of the conveyor in a manner to accurately control the position of the advancntially perpendicular to the axis of the jar esta which at this time rests on the rail 23, the lootof the jar Abeing parallel with the rail and ontactltherewith throughout its diameter. Alsothe rail 23 is substantially 0r approximately perpendicular yto theadjacent portions of the channel and the latter of a material side play or tilting movement of ,thejar within and relative to the Zonesispaced to hold the jar closely Within the spiral channel so that;- the desired position of theiar. relative, to, the channel maintained, L Witl 15h'r A analisi-guiding the ,Surface oi the. .Worm and ba The" oniparati el gradually inereased WithinV zene Isle for ri;

creasinglithe speed iof thel'tlthatiof'a tra Luefibr rinsing Pwater at astill higher temperature with sorted to fwitlriinv along, means for mounting the conveyor for rotation about its axis, said channel having a comparatively low pitch throughout a portion of its length and a higher pitch throughout an additional portion of its length, the Width oi" the channel along the higher pitch portion being less than the width along the lower pitch portion.

2. An article-conveying apparatus comprising a conveyor mounted for rotation about an axis and having a spiral channel formed therein, said channel including low and high pitch portions alternating with intermediate accelerating and decelerating portions which merge into said high and low pitch portions, the width of the channel along said high-pitch portions being less than the Width of the channel along the low-pitch portions.

3. Article-conveying apparatus comprising a conveyor having a cylindrical body portion formed with a spiral channel extending therealong, means for mounting the conveyor for rotation about its axis, said channel having a comparatively low pitch throughout a portion of its length and a higher pitch throughout an additional portion of its length, the width of the channel throughout said portion of higher pitch being no greater than the width along said portion of lower pitch, and stationary holding and guiding means extending spirally along the channel and spaced therefrom in position to hold articles in position in said channel and causing them to be advanced bodily along the conveyor by its rotation and to be inverted during their passage along the portion of higher pitch.

4. Article-conveying apparatus comprising a conveyor having a cylindrical body portion formed with a spiral channel extending therealong, means for mounting the conveyor for rotation about its axis, said channel having a comparatively low pitch throughout a portion of its length and a higher pitch throughout an additional portion of its length, the width of the channel throughout said portion of higher pitch being no greater than the width along said portion of lower pitch, and guide strips having a stationary mounting and extending along the conveyor, said guide strips being positioned to engage articles and hold them in operative position relative to the conveyor, said guide strips including spiral portions extending along the high-pitch portion of the conveyor in position to engage the articles and cause them to be inverted during their passage along the high-pitch portion of the conveyor.

5. The combination of a screw-type conveyor having a helical channel formed in its surface and extending along the conveyor, said channel including a portion having a relatively low pitch, an accelerating portion forming a continuation of the low-pitch portion and of gradually increasing pitch throughout its length, and a high-pitch portion forming a continuation of said accelerating portion, the width of the channel along the high-pitch portion being less than that along the low-pitch portion, stationary guide rails extending in a straight line along the low-pitch portion of the channel and having curved portions extending spirally along the conveyor Within the range of the high-pitch channel portion, said spiral portion of the guide rails being positioned and shaped to guide the articles as they advance along the high-pitch portion of the channel and revolve them about the axis of the conveyor from an upright to an inverted position.

JOHN HOHL. ALOIS F. TRENDEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

